GRIP Favourites - Bodyweight Row

The bodyweight row can be performed either on a straight bar or gymnastic rings/TRX. It doesn't get as much attention as the pull-up, but we think it should.

Here are a few reasons why it's awesome;

* It's a great exercise for working towards a pull-up because it allows you to build pulling strength using a lower proportion of your bodyweight.

* The row is one of the few exercises that promotes external rotation of the shoulder, which is important in preventing strength imbalances and injury.

* By strengthening your middle back, the row is great for improving posture, reversing the effects of prolonged sitting and hunching over a work desk.

* Essentially being the opposite of a press up, the row also requires you to keep your body in good alignment through the movement, engaging and working your core muscles.

* Its easy to manipulate the difficulty of the bodyweight row to suit any level of training simply by moving the position of your feet, altering the angle of your body. The further forward your feet, the closer your body lies to the ground and the harder the exercise becomes.

So why not try and incorporate it into your routine.

Comments

Importance of Fascia

Fascia is EVERYWHERE! The fascial web covers the entire body. This connective tissue both facilitates and restricts movement! SPIRAL LINE - is the link between the shoulder and the ankle of the opposite leg. Like a sling across the body. If you have a restriction along the line both 'ends' will be negatively affected. e.g. shoulder tightness (problem) = poor flexibility in the opposite ankle and hip. Imagine a tightly knitted jumper, tug one end you'll see the tug travel a long distance to the other end. Like a domino effect. This time pull on it again but hold for 8 hours (amount of time a lot of us sit @ a desk) or pull on it 2000 times (average steps done on a light run). The outcome? Well the jumper isn't going to look how it started out. Fascia just like all other connective tissue can change in response to stress/injury. Just as tendons thicken in response to repetitive motion/lifting heavy - fascia may also thicken. This leads to stiffening and red...

Miracle cure for your lower back pain...?

This week we're talking about the infamous lower back!! Most of the adult population have suffered some sort of lower back pain at one point...(shock horror it's probably those chairs' fault again!!)People are constantly on the hunt for this magical exercise/stretch that will fix everyone's lower back pain, but it doesn't exist!! Firstly everyone is slightly different, what works for one person won't work for another. You'll most likely have to go through a few different exercises to see which is best for you. Secondly, we're constantly told our lower back is this fragile thing and we shouldn't move it in a way that would seem to aggravate it - your back is a muscle just like your quads, it needs to be worked, it should be strong (not weak like most of ours because we don't use it). We have to learn to move without the fear of doing damage to it. Say you've gone to the gym and tried a new workout which included a few Deadlift variations. Th...

Scapula Health

The muscles responsible for scapula movement and control (known as the rotator cuff and serratus anterior) are often overlooked in favour of the bigger, superficial muscles we see in the mirror: pectorals, deltoids and latissimus dorsi. While these large muscles are responsible for developing the power in the overall movements, the smaller muscles deep within the shoulder stabilise the head of the humerus within the glenoid fossa (shoulder socket). If these are weak it can lead to imbalances, weakness, pain and even injury. Last summer, I thought I had injured my anterior deltoid, because of pain in my shoulder which also ran down the top of my arm. The pain became worse during pressing movements in my workouts and even began to effect my everyday life, causing extreme discomfort during driving. This went on for a few months, just thinking I'd pulled a muscle and it would fix itself eventually. However, this wasn't the case and finally enough was enough, so I got it checke...

GRIP

Search This Blog